By Chukwuma Umeorah.
Civil service workers nationwide are calling for the reinstatement of gratuity payments for employees in treasury-funded Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and for pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to be included in pension rate reviews.
At the fifth Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) held in Lagos on Monday, the workers emphasized the urgency of these demands.
While the association praised President Bola Tinubu for approving the N70,000 minimum wage, they also requested the formation of a committee to address adjustments related to the new National Minimum Wage Act, 2024, ensuring that no worker’s grade level is adversely affected.
The union also urged state governments to eliminate waste and leakage in government spending to facilitate the implementation of the new minimum wage and improve citizens’ living standards.
They noted that states have received increased funds from the Federal Account Allocation Committee since the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023.
ASCSN Secretary-General Joshua Apebo criticized the discontinuation of gratuity payments, which had been a longstanding benefit for public employees.
He pointed out that since the Pension Reform Act (PRA) of 2004, employees in treasury-funded MDAs have been denied gratuity, unlike their counterparts in the private sector and non-treasury-funded MDAs who still receive this benefit.
Apebo urged the government to restore gratuity payments promptly, emphasizing their importance for recognizing the service of these employees and ensuring their post-retirement welfare.
The ASCSN also advocated for including CPS pensioners in periodic pension rate reviews.
According to Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution, pensions should be reviewed every five years or alongside federal civil service salary reviews.
However, CPS pensioners have been excluded from recent adjustments, disadvantaging them compared to those under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
Apebo called for this oversight to be corrected in future reviews to ensure fair treatment for all pensioners.
The conference also elected a new executive to the Central Working Committee, with Comrade Shehu Muhammed succeeding Tommy Etim Okon as the ASCSN National President.
Muhammed pledged to continue advocating for a living wage and improved worker welfare.
“A living wage should meet the basic needs of workers and their dependents, addressing issues like hunger that affect many, including youths who are dependents of workers,” Muhammed said.
Earlier in his address, the National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, declared support for the Union and vowed to defend the interests members of trade unions across Nigeria.
“Our role as Labour leaders is to fight for the workers cutting across all the nook and cranny of the nation. We should be a backbone of those that elected us,” he said.
The Sun Nigeria.
